Not Just Any Castle

I began my tour of the Prague castle with St. Vitus's Cathedral.  Begun in the 14th century, it took nearly 600 years to complete.  You enter from the west.

Photographing the southern facade is easier.  

I got there early enough to avoid the crowds and really appreciate the magnificence of the interior.

 

 

 

My admission ticket also included Golden Lane.  Period recreations fill the small, brightly colored houses.  I'm always up for a torture chamber.

Kafka had a room of his own on Golden Lane from 1916 to 1917.  He published The Castle in 1926.

Several of the rooms provided a glimpse into the more recent past.

The castle grounds are extensive and impeccably maintained.

 

 

I can't say the Old Royal Palace, filled with the thunderous echo of school groups, impressed me much despite the size of the ceremonial room and the pomp of the throne room, where they keep the real crown jewels.

The guard changed just as my visit ended.

Video captures it better.

The front entrance to the castle impresses.

Nothing like a stabbing to make visitors feel welcome!